1. Field
Embodiments relate to a light emitting device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are a representative example of light emitting devices, which convert electric signals into infrared light or visible light using characteristics of compound semiconductors. Such LEDs are being utilized in home appliances, remote controllers, electronic bulletin boards, displays and various other automated machines. The application range of LEDs is gradually increasing.
Generally, miniature LEDs are fabricated into surface mount devices so as to be directly mounted on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and hence, an LED lamp, which serves as a display device, is being developed into a surface mount device. The surface mount device can substitute for a conventional simple lamp and is used in a variety of color on-and-off displays and letter/image displays.
Such an LED generally exhibits rectification characteristics. Therefore, when AC power is applied to the LED, the LED is repeatedly turned on/off according to the direction of current, thus having difficulty in continuously emitting light and suffering from damage due to reverse current.
Accordingly, a variety of studies into directly connecting an LED to an AC power source have recently been conducted.